Kieran Tripper says England cannot use lack of fitness as an excuse for coming up short in the Euro 2024 final.
Spain ran-out 2-1 winners with a later winner in Berlin on Sunday night to crush the Three Lions hopes of landing their first major silverware in 58 years.
England never lost a game when Trippier started… 🖤🤍
See you back in the Toon Tripps 👏#Euro2024 | #NUFC | https://t.co/0umJ3sU0jf pic.twitter.com/Vo9e1Rjp9a
— BBC Sport Tyne & Wear (@bbcnewcastle) July 14, 2024
In the wake of Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th minute goal, Gareth Southgate claimed some of his squad came up ‘a little bit short of their physical peak’ during the tournament, something which he claimed was exacerbated by having to play extra-time in order to overcome Slovakia in the last-16 and Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
He added: “The physical toll of the issues we came into the tournament with, the extra time periods, and then having as little of the ball (in the final) as we did, ultimately that took a big toll and was part of the reason why at the end legs started to go and you start to make mistakes.
“The players have pushed it to the 85th minute of the final game, they have been incredible really. So many of our players came in to the camp having missed the end of the season. That physical toll was definitely an issue for us.
“There was a lot stacked against us in terms of having a day less to recover (after the semi-final) and having had the extra time periods we did too.”
Trippier was one of several players who missed game time in the second half of the season – playing only 73 minutes across Newcastle’s final 11 Premier League games after a calf injury – but the right-back insists fitness issues should not be considered an excuse.
“The team we have got is fit,” he insisted. “If you see the stats I think we are probably the highest in the whole tournament – so that’s not an excuse.
“They got the second goal and it’s always difficult when you’re chasing the game against a team like Spain. Football is all about fine margins. It’s one of those where the lads gave everything.”
Trippier scored England’s opener in the 2018 World Cup semi-final and also started the Euro 2020 Final, though he was replaced by Luke Shaw in Berlin on Sunday having started England’s first six games in Germany.
He hailed the impact of England’s young-guns at this tournament, with 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, 21-year-old Jude Bellingham and 22-year-old Cole Palmer all contributing to their run to the latter stages, and thinks the future is promising.
“The young players stepped up in big moments for us. They can learn a lot from this,” he said. “It will make them grow.
“They will have learned a great deal from this tournament.”
